Columns

When earlier this year various people began declaring themselves candidates for the Presidency on the Republican ticket, many of us could hardly believe our ears and eyes. First of all, the numbers are mind-boggling at this point. I’ve lost count, but so many Republicans debated last week that none could say much. The line of candidates seemed longer than the retired Air Force One in the background. I only watched for a few minutes; my regular readers know I’m not a fan of politics. I do, however, vote in every election and I do my best to educate myself about the candidates when the election nears. The activity right now seems like so many side shows in a wild circus. I don’t know what’s going on, and it seems that I’m not the only one.
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The subject of this week’s report will undoubtedly be a highly controversial issue in the 2016 legislation session. The issue that seems to be gaining surprising support that I had not expected is casino gaming in Georgia.
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The American Indians used their medicine man’s tactics to help them handle day-to-day crises. He danced in his sacred robes layered with feathers and bones, chanted his incantations, and did his best to handle the situation. When the problem involved weather, he led the rain dance while most of the people danced with him. Back-up dancers appeared important. I’m sure some medicine men were more effective than others, but, bless their hearts, they tried.
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Recently I read online that keeping a productivity journal can help people to become more productive. What a novel idea. Perhaps I should try it. I sat down at my computer and opened up a new word document to try the exercise for myself. First of all, I was supposed to write down my goals and give them deadlines because the article said that goals turn dreams into reality.
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I love a great sense of humor, no matter what its source. That includes obituaries. Joe O’Connor, a Great American from Marietta, shared with me a couple of eulogies he thought I might enjoy reading. I did and I deemed them too good not pass along — edited for length but preserving their spirit.
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Last week I decided to do some housecleaning, which I try not to do too often, but it cannot be avoided forever. As I worked to throw out junk, I found an old, old newspaper from my teenage years—the 60s, to be exact. Yellowed and crumbling, it lay at the bottom of an old trunk. Perusing the paper, I discovered that all the articles on the society pages ended with the words “and a good time was had by all.” What an interesting way to end an article. (Hear the sarcasm there?) Suddenly the memories flooded my mind and I remembered that that particular phrase annoyed me even back then. Yes, I did read the paper in my youth.
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The only legislative activity this week was a hearing of the Ways and Means committee to discuss Rep. John Carson’s tax reform plan. Most of the topics making news at the Capitol continue to revolve around areas that many of you have expressed concern about: political correctness and religious liberty.
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On Saturday, August 22, 2015, we gathered at Baxley’s First United Methodist Church to celebrate the life of Kenny Williams. What a marvelous service it was, too. His granddaughter Sheridan sang “Here I Am, Lord,” his other granddaughter Chambliss read 1 Corinthians, Chapter 13, and his grandson Aidan read Romans 8: 35-39. I can see Kenny now, his chest swollen with pride at their performances. When his daughter Susan gave the eulogy, she led the audience in laughter and tears. She knew Kenny as only a daughter can know her father. She knew him well and knew how much he loved her and the rest of his family. On the way out of the service, another friend said, “I don’t think it’s quite appropriate to enjoy a funeral, but I did.” Kenny would have approved of the service.
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Unless you are one of the intrepid public servants we keep sending back to the Gold Dome to get you out of our hair, or a lizard-loafered lobbyist lurking around the capitol with free lunch coupons or members of the news media with coffee stains on their shirts and cynicism in their hearts, the name Brian Robinson may be unfamiliar to you.
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Let us consider for a few minutes some of the peculiarities of our native tongue—in most cases, the English language in these parts. For example, flammable and inflammable mean exactly the same thing. How could that be? Which do we paint on the side of a fuel truck to warn drivers to stay back at a safe distance? Take your pick. It doesn’t matter except that one is two letters shorter than the other.
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To say Betty Wallace loves Georgia Tech is to say Romeo loved Juliet or hogs love slop. It is a simple fact. Who else do you know that attended Georgia Tech football games for some 80 years —that’s not a misprint — and was a season ticket holder for Tech basketball for decades until the practicality of age made her realize she could root just as hard from home as she did on site. And she does.
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